This study examines properties of atmospheric aerosols and their sources, seeking to improve the understanding of the dynamics of pollutants in the Pantanal region. The main objectives of this work are: characterization of particulate matter and evaluation of their sources in the Mato Grosso Pantanal. Atmospheric aerosols samples were continuously collected from April 2012 to August 2013 in Baía das Pedras, located at Pantanal. The sampling devices consisted of fine and coarse mode particulate samplers, which separates the fine fraction of the aerosol (dp ˂ 2.5 µm) and coarse fraction (2,5 < dp< 10 µm) . X-ray fluorescence was used to figure out particle elemental composition, and a reflectance technique was applied to determine the black carbon content. Using the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) technique, three types of aerosol sources were estimated: natural biogenic emissions, soil dust suspension and biomass burning. The results reinforce the importance of studying the Pantanal particulate matter to understand the mechanisms of natural and anthropogenic processes that are able to regulating the atmosphere composition.
aerosol, emissions; fires; soil resuspension
